Chapter sixteen
Disclaimer on opening note
It was the end of another school year, and one more Hogsmeade trip was planned. Ruby was excited, since it would be the only one she had gone on the whole year. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were staying behind, although Ruby was not sure why. So she went off with Fred, George, and Oliver to celebrate the end of testing. As they were leaving they saw Professor Lupin walking towards the gate. He stopped a moment when he saw Ruby.
"Ah, Miss Kennedy, I hope I did not disappoint you this year," He yelled.
Ruby quickly walked over to him, making Percy a little mad, but who really cares. "Nothing could disappoint me after last year, Professor."
He smiled, "And I heard you took your Potions O.W.L.S."
"Yes sir, and felt I did quite well," she said confidently.
"That I am pleased with. Don't let Ol' Snape work you to hard," he said as he got into his carriage.
"No worries." Ruby went back and joined the group while Percy was fuming protocol, and how late they were going to be.
"Oh shut up, Percy," yelled Fred. "It the end of the school year. Loosen up."
The first place they took Ruby was the three broomsticks, where it seemed everyone was celebrating the end of term.
"To O.W.L.S.," Fred raised his glass.
"That we may have just squeaked by," finished George.
"To N.E.W.T.S.," Oliver continued, "That I never have to take another Hogwarts test again!"
"To Malfoy," Ruby said which stunned the other three, "Who realized that by the time I got to Hogsmeade I'd need a cooler hair cut." They all laughed.
"Cheers," the said together.
They traipsed Ruby all over Hogsmeade; the joke shop, the book store, the candy store where she bought tons of food for the summer, she was so excited about everything she saw.
"Hey, come with me a moment," Oliver whispered. Ruby was a little nervous. She knew that it was Oliver's last year, and didn't want t see him go. He took her to a quieter part of town by a small shack. "I just wanted to tell you that, umm," he seemed nervous too. "I'm really going to miss you."
"I'm going to miss you too."
"I mean, you're really the only girl here who I ever had any feelings for, but."
"But we should not go any further because of the situation at hand and just be friends?"
A little surprised at how well she said this Oliver answered, "Um, yeah."
"That would be awesome."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I mean, I liked you too, but it could never really work. I mean the friends thing does but, you're going to be a quidditch star and have tons of fans."
"I think you might be going a bit over board."
"No, I'm not," she laughed. "Just send me owls now and then, ok? I mean you were one of the first people who I really talked to here. I will hunt you down if you don't keep in contact," she joked.
"Well, I better keep writing then," he laughed and gave her a hug. "I'm glad that's over."
"How long have you been dreading this?"
"A while." They talked and laughed all the way back to Hogwarts.
* * * Ruby got a quick shower the morning they were to leave for the summer. Her hair was still very short, but was gaining some length. She was brushing what hair she had in front of the mirror, but stopped when it flicked. No one else was there, so she began to talk.
"I know you are there. I know you are not a figment of my imagination." The mirror said nothing, just brief flickers in the mirror. Had Dumbledore strengthened the security of the mirrors. "And you are right," she smirked, "How dare I compare you to the likes of Albus Dumbledore." The mirror flicked wildly, then settled back into her reflection.
Ruby walked out of the bathroom, knowing that Voldemort would still be watching her, but conversation was no longer an option.
It was still too early for breakfast, so Ruby walked the halls of Hogwarts, down the stairs to the dungeons. The potions classroom was, of course, locked. She turned and found herself face to face with Snape. She hated it when he snuck up on her like that.
"Miss Kennedy," he addressed her as if it was perfectly normal for her to be down there.
"Professor."
"Is there something you needed?"
"Not really. I just didn't want to stay in the tower any longer."
"Ah." He didn't seem to know where to go from there.
"You told Dumbledore about the mirror thing to, didn't you?"
"Why don't we discuss this in my office." He opened the door and she sat acrossed from him. "Yes, I told Dumbledore about you searching for information on mirror communication and the dreams."
"And,"
"And, what Miss Kennedy?"
"What does that say about me?" Snape looked confused. "Do you all think I'm under the Dark Lords power, or that I've turned to the dark side?"
Snape took a deep breath. "No, we do not think this. We are just trying to keep you safe. I have no idea what the Dark Lord wants with you, but I don't want you to go through," he stopped there.
"Go through what?"
"Any of the pain that the Dark Lord can put you through." She could tell that was not what he had almost said, but did not push the subject. "He does terrible things, Miss Kennedy. You do not want to be on the receiving end of things," he warned.
"Thank you, Professor."
"And by the way, Congratulations on your O.W.L.S."
"You know what I got?"
"About. Now go, I have things to attend to."
* * * The train ride to King's Cross was pretty ordinary, until Hermione came to the compartment were Ruby was sitting with Fred, George, and Oliver.
"Could you come with me a minute," Hermione asked.
"Sure." Ruby followed her to where Hermione, Ron, and Harry were sitting.
"I wanted to tell you, so you didn't hear it last, but you have to keep it quiet" Harry said after the compartment door shut. Ruby noticed a very hyper owl sitting by Ron and Harry holding a letter.
"I will be silent," she said and listened intently to Harry.
He explained what had happened with Buckbeak and Sirius Black. Harry left out some details, but all the important information was there. Ruby was a little shocked, but then thought about all that Harry has been through and realized that it wasn't that strange.
Bobby was there to meet Ruby at King's Cross and had brought her a gift. A cage held a rather large, clumsy looking owl. Bobby gave Ruby a big hug and said, "You really need your own owl. I thought he was rather good."
Ruby smiled and named him instantly as Fezzik. She said goodbye to her friends and left with Bobby for Hawaii. She did not realize that this would be her last summer spent in Hawaii for a long time.
It was the end of another school year, and one more Hogsmeade trip was planned. Ruby was excited, since it would be the only one she had gone on the whole year. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were staying behind, although Ruby was not sure why. So she went off with Fred, George, and Oliver to celebrate the end of testing. As they were leaving they saw Professor Lupin walking towards the gate. He stopped a moment when he saw Ruby.
"Ah, Miss Kennedy, I hope I did not disappoint you this year," He yelled.
Ruby quickly walked over to him, making Percy a little mad, but who really cares. "Nothing could disappoint me after last year, Professor."
He smiled, "And I heard you took your Potions O.W.L.S."
"Yes sir, and felt I did quite well," she said confidently.
"That I am pleased with. Don't let Ol' Snape work you to hard," he said as he got into his carriage.
"No worries." Ruby went back and joined the group while Percy was fuming protocol, and how late they were going to be.
"Oh shut up, Percy," yelled Fred. "It the end of the school year. Loosen up."
The first place they took Ruby was the three broomsticks, where it seemed everyone was celebrating the end of term.
"To O.W.L.S.," Fred raised his glass.
"That we may have just squeaked by," finished George.
"To N.E.W.T.S.," Oliver continued, "That I never have to take another Hogwarts test again!"
"To Malfoy," Ruby said which stunned the other three, "Who realized that by the time I got to Hogsmeade I'd need a cooler hair cut." They all laughed.
"Cheers," the said together.
They traipsed Ruby all over Hogsmeade; the joke shop, the book store, the candy store where she bought tons of food for the summer, she was so excited about everything she saw.
"Hey, come with me a moment," Oliver whispered. Ruby was a little nervous. She knew that it was Oliver's last year, and didn't want t see him go. He took her to a quieter part of town by a small shack. "I just wanted to tell you that, umm," he seemed nervous too. "I'm really going to miss you."
"I'm going to miss you too."
"I mean, you're really the only girl here who I ever had any feelings for, but."
"But we should not go any further because of the situation at hand and just be friends?"
A little surprised at how well she said this Oliver answered, "Um, yeah."
"That would be awesome."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I mean, I liked you too, but it could never really work. I mean the friends thing does but, you're going to be a quidditch star and have tons of fans."
"I think you might be going a bit over board."
"No, I'm not," she laughed. "Just send me owls now and then, ok? I mean you were one of the first people who I really talked to here. I will hunt you down if you don't keep in contact," she joked.
"Well, I better keep writing then," he laughed and gave her a hug. "I'm glad that's over."
"How long have you been dreading this?"
"A while." They talked and laughed all the way back to Hogwarts.
* * * Ruby got a quick shower the morning they were to leave for the summer. Her hair was still very short, but was gaining some length. She was brushing what hair she had in front of the mirror, but stopped when it flicked. No one else was there, so she began to talk.
"I know you are there. I know you are not a figment of my imagination." The mirror said nothing, just brief flickers in the mirror. Had Dumbledore strengthened the security of the mirrors. "And you are right," she smirked, "How dare I compare you to the likes of Albus Dumbledore." The mirror flicked wildly, then settled back into her reflection.
Ruby walked out of the bathroom, knowing that Voldemort would still be watching her, but conversation was no longer an option.
It was still too early for breakfast, so Ruby walked the halls of Hogwarts, down the stairs to the dungeons. The potions classroom was, of course, locked. She turned and found herself face to face with Snape. She hated it when he snuck up on her like that.
"Miss Kennedy," he addressed her as if it was perfectly normal for her to be down there.
"Professor."
"Is there something you needed?"
"Not really. I just didn't want to stay in the tower any longer."
"Ah." He didn't seem to know where to go from there.
"You told Dumbledore about the mirror thing to, didn't you?"
"Why don't we discuss this in my office." He opened the door and she sat acrossed from him. "Yes, I told Dumbledore about you searching for information on mirror communication and the dreams."
"And,"
"And, what Miss Kennedy?"
"What does that say about me?" Snape looked confused. "Do you all think I'm under the Dark Lords power, or that I've turned to the dark side?"
Snape took a deep breath. "No, we do not think this. We are just trying to keep you safe. I have no idea what the Dark Lord wants with you, but I don't want you to go through," he stopped there.
"Go through what?"
"Any of the pain that the Dark Lord can put you through." She could tell that was not what he had almost said, but did not push the subject. "He does terrible things, Miss Kennedy. You do not want to be on the receiving end of things," he warned.
"Thank you, Professor."
"And by the way, Congratulations on your O.W.L.S."
"You know what I got?"
"About. Now go, I have things to attend to."
* * * The train ride to King's Cross was pretty ordinary, until Hermione came to the compartment were Ruby was sitting with Fred, George, and Oliver.
"Could you come with me a minute," Hermione asked.
"Sure." Ruby followed her to where Hermione, Ron, and Harry were sitting.
"I wanted to tell you, so you didn't hear it last, but you have to keep it quiet" Harry said after the compartment door shut. Ruby noticed a very hyper owl sitting by Ron and Harry holding a letter.
"I will be silent," she said and listened intently to Harry.
He explained what had happened with Buckbeak and Sirius Black. Harry left out some details, but all the important information was there. Ruby was a little shocked, but then thought about all that Harry has been through and realized that it wasn't that strange.
Bobby was there to meet Ruby at King's Cross and had brought her a gift. A cage held a rather large, clumsy looking owl. Bobby gave Ruby a big hug and said, "You really need your own owl. I thought he was rather good."
Ruby smiled and named him instantly as Fezzik. She said goodbye to her friends and left with Bobby for Hawaii. She did not realize that this would be her last summer spent in Hawaii for a long time.
